


Howl

by AdamTheApprentice



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST PART, Blood, But Not Much, Crying, Cuddles, F/F, Fear, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Literally Just Scratches, Love, Named Apprentice (The Arcana), Non-Explicit Nudity, Overthinking, POV First Person, Sorry I'm On Crack While I Tag This, Werewolf Nadia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21626827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdamTheApprentice/pseuds/AdamTheApprentice
Summary: Nadia is terrified of Kiria finding out the truth, but all things must come to light eventually.
Relationships: Apprentice/Nadia (The Arcana)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Howl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jenkoree](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenkoree/gifts).



> Made for the GORGEOUS everlovely Jen with her Apprentice, Kiria. Based on the song Howl by Florence and the Machine.  
> Beta'd by my good friend Manifest Merlin.  
> ~Adam

My heart hammers against my chest, almost as loud as my paws thundering against the snowy forest floor. I’m practically throwing myself between trees and bushes. I tried to be so careful. I thought I had been, yet here we are in this situation, my waking nightmare. I know you saw me, Kiria, and I hear your footsteps in the snow behind me. I pray you didn’t see my transformation, that you didn’t see that  _ I _ am the wolf you are chasing. What would you think of me, if you knew this dark secret of mine?

I skid to a halt in front of a wall of brambles, forced to change my course. I can see you out of the corner of my eye, my course correction having given you just enough time that we are now running parallel. It pains me to run from you when all I would like to do is lie in your arms, free from care and worry. To feel the soft touch of your skin would be bliss, but could you stand to touch me again if you knew that I’m the one you’re hunting?

Lost in my thoughts of you, I don’t notice the dip in the forest floor where a small creek runs through in the rainy season. I drop into the creekbed, my paws scraping against the rocky slope as I try to find purchase. I lose control of my form, snapping painfully back to my human body as I try to stop my fall. All that gets me, though, is cold, covered in snow, and lying bloody with scrapes and bruises twenty feet below where I’d just been running. I hear you stop at the top and curl up, pressing myself against the side of the little ravine and covering my mouth with a bloody paw- no hand, I transformed. Gods, it’s so hard to keep track sometimes.

I don’t know how long I hear you pace above me, time keeping isn’t really at the forefront of my thoughts in such a dire situation. I know you keep a silver blade on your person, and I am not fool enough to hope that you wouldn’t use it on me. I am a beast, a monsterous mix of human and wolf.

The temperature does nothing but drop as you search for me. My body quakes with cold, and I consider trying to change back. In such as state as I’m in, though, I can’t imagine my transformation will be peaceful. I resign myself to waiting and hoping that you will leave soon, but you defy my expectations.

Just as I think your feet are about to move away, you drop down into the ravine, just a few feet in front of me. As if to spite myself, I let out a sound of shock, pressing harder against the ravine wall. I can’t flee you now, my body sore and cold and tired. You turn slowly, your keen eyes scanning me for just a moment. I see the hilt of your silver dagger and gulp, unable to tear my eyes away from the weapon.

It feels like time stops around us as we sit in this stalemate. I don’t know what you’re going to do, and I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage about cornering an injured dog. You spring forward and I try to raise my arms as some paltry attempt at shielding myself, but your arms wrap around me, warm from your constant activity in the last few, what has it been, minutes?

Tears spring in my eyes as I realize you don’t mean me harm. How could I think you would hurt me? I wrap my arms around you, pressing my face into your neck as I let out an unbecoming sob. What must you think of me? I’m supposed to be the strength of Vesuvia, and yet here I am, sobbing like a child, naked and bleeding and cold. You pull away slowly, cupping my cheek and smiling at me softly. I muster the best smile I can in return, but I’m sure it doesn’t meet the standards I should be held to.

Slowly, we stand. I groan in pain, leaning against you as we begin the trek home. I’m both disappointed and pleased that we didn’t run as far as I thought we had, but that is a concern for another time. I’m more worried about keeping quiet as you sneak me back into the Palace, bringing me directly to the baths. I wait patiently, watching you quietly as you prepare the bath until I can stand the silence no longer.

“Kiria, I-”

You turn and look at me, tears in your eyes. I close my mouth, at a loss for words. S=I reach out to you, and you run into my arms, holding me as though it will be the last time.

“Nadia, that was so reckless! What if I wasn’t the one who saw you? What if I had been a hunter! You could have  _ died _ !”

I gulp, stroking your hair gently. “I’m sorry, love… I did not know that you…”

You look up at me, scrubbing away the tears on your cheeks with the back of a hand. “Of course I knew about you, Nadia. I’m not an idiot. You’re good at hiding it, but the purple fur is a big giveaway.”

I smile lovingly, stroking your cheek to wipe away the tears that you missed. “I’m sorry for worrying you… I didn’t think you knew, and I thought my fur was dark enough to hide the, uhm… unfortunate telltale color. Now that I know otherwise, I will be more careful when I stretch my legs.”

Slowly, you stand, leading me over to the bath. I step in, my back turned to you as you disrobe. When you slide into the water beside you, I bring you into my arms. The water stings my cuts, but the silky feel of your skin beneath my fingers soothes away my pain and worry. You kiss me, and my cares fall even further from my mind. For now, at the least, it is only you and I, with no worries of silver or full moons or violet fur. There is only love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Make some noise if you can't wait for more lmao


End file.
